The agreement includes suspension of the right of 5,000 non-teaching staff on over £21,000 a year, to an incremental pay increase as they move up pay-scales, starting tomorrow. Those earning less than £21,000 will be entitled to their normal incremental progression in 2011/12, but it will be frozen for 2012/13.

Eck Barclay, senior shop steward for Unite, said: “It is a lot to ask people to accept a total freeze, but I believe it is a sacrifice worth making if jobs can be protected.”